Nosey
by LBthebookworm
Summary: Sometimes, Cloud Guy sticks his nose where it doesn't belong. And now, he's learned something Branch would prefer for no one to find out.


**Probably should be doing my algebra homework, but screw it! I want to write this. Just as a precaution, if cutting or self-harm triggers you in some way, then don't read this. I mean, it's only referenced, but still.**

 **Also, this only my second angst fic, so let me know what I can do better.**

 **...**

Cloud Guy was having a rather awful day. His annoying sister had come for a visit, and asked him how he had been. She asked him about his friends, what his day was like, and how he was handling the weather.

Psssh. Like he needed to explain how he ran the weather.

His sister was always so condescending. Just because she studied at the Cloud Institute for Weather Mastery doesn't mean she was better than him. After all, she spent four years of her life getting a useless degree in tornadoes while he was busy protecting an entire village from _hurricanes_.

Did she honestly think Cloud Guy couldn't handle his job? He wasn't an idiot! No matter what Branch said.

Branch, hm? An evil smirk crossed the cloud's face. Bothering Branch was just the thing Cloud Guy needed.

...

Getting into Branch's bunker was no problem. For all his talk of security and defenses, he was really bad at keeping the cloud from getting in. Seriously, it's almost like this troll wanted Cloud Guy to break in.

The cumulus was happy to find Branch wasn't in the bunker. That meant he had some time to snoop. Cloud Guy wandered through the place. Even though he had been down here a million times, had lived down here for almost two weeks, there were plenty of things he hadn't seen yet.

I mean, it was huge! How a teenager could build something like this was a mystery to him.

Branch was just so independent. Cloud Guy had helicopter parents from the moment he condensed. It was strange to think that Branch could, _had_ , taken care of himself for a good bit of his childhood.

Cloud Guy found himself walking down a hallway he had never been in. (An entire hallway that he had never seen! Just how big was this place?) At the end, there was a door. It was a big door, and just from looking at it, Cloud Guy could tell it was locked.

No problem for someone who could turn himself into vapors. He easily slipped under the door, and quickly scoped out the place.

It was some sort of library, to his surprise. It was a large one too, maybe about the size of an average pod. The walls were lined with shelves of scrapbooks, picture books, textbooks, instructional manuals... basically every genre ever, which was strange because Cloud Guy didn't peg Branch as the kind of person who would read _Snow White and the Seven Party Crashers_.

That little beauty was sitting on a table in the middle of the room, along with a dozen other books. Cloud recognized a few of them. There was _King Arthur and the Knights of the Dessert Table,_ one of Cloud Guy's personal favorites, but then there were books like _The Scarlet Glitter, The Great Gladsby, and Fahrenheit 1800._

Gross! Those books didn't even have pictures!

There was one Cloud Guy had never heard of: _My thoughts on Cupcakes._ That was a weird title; weird enough that he decided to read it.

Cloud Guy picked up the book. The cover was rather simple. It was pale green, the title written in messy, blue ink, and there was a little, orange cupcake.

On the inside, on the very first page, was a note. "To my grandma."

"That poor woman." He muttered. The cumulus flipped through the first few pages, but there didn't seem to be anything interesting. It just seemed to be a story about a little kid who lived in the troll tree. Nothing of particular interest.

He soon became bored, and moved to put the book on the table. But as he set it down, he noticed a bookmark poking out of the side, Cloud Guy opened the book to the marked page.

The new page was the very last one in the book. That... that wasn't the significant thing about it. The significant thing about it was the thin razor inside. Cloud Guy realized, with disgust at his own ignorance, that the razor had _been_ the bookmark.

Why would Branch hide a razor in a book? Especially one that was covered in sparkly, rainbow troll-blood? Maybe... No. That couldn't be true. There was no way.

Cloud Guy would sooner eat his own foot than say this, but Branch was the strongest, most independent troll, heck, _person,_ that Cloud Guy knew! He... he would never... Why?

The cloud looked down at the page. They was only one paragraph, but it held so much depth:

 _"Despite regaining my colors, I still find myself in dark places at times. Don't misunderstand me. I am happy, but not in the way I feel I should be. I feel... content. Like the ache in my heart is still there, but the constant, throbbing pain is gone. I will never be able to thank my friends enough for all the support and kindness they've shown me, and I find myself turning to a blade less and less. I am happy, and while I might be a pessimist, something tells me that will never change."_

Cloud Guy looked back at the cover. Under the orange cupcake was Branch's full name. Branch wrote this book. The cloud pursed his lips. So it was true... Branch hurt himself... but he said it was getting better.

With shaking hands, Cloud Guy set both the razor and the book down on the table.

What did it matter? Branch cut himself! How could Cloud Guy trust him to be getting better? He had to confront him. Demand answers.

This... this was not okay. It would never be okay. Yeah! Cloud Guy would get a team of Branch's closest friends, and they'd hold an intervention. They would help him.

"What are you doing here?" Branch demanded, walking into the room. _How'd he know I was here?_ Cloud Guy was so startled, he almost precipitated. "Branch! Just the troll I wanted to see!" he said, masking his anxiety with fake confidence. _Just act natural._ he told himself. He shifted to the left slightly, hiding the book and razor from Branch's view. "How are you today, horses' hay?"

Branch raised an eyebrow. "Horses' hay? That's bad even for you." he snarked.

Cloud Guy plastered a grin on his face. "Don't pout, pig snout. I've got a million more." he tucked his hands behind his back, and grasped the book. He carefully slid it inside his cloud body.

"Good to know." Branch said sarcastically."Now, get out."

"Fine, but only because I find you boring." The cloud pretended to be annoyed, but underneath, he was ecstatic. Now, he just had to make it out that door, and he could go straight to Poppy.

"You just had to stick your nose where it doesn't belong." Branch said, voice hollow. Cloud Guy turned back to ask what he was talking about. Cloud Guy realized that he had forgotten the razor... the very thing that Branch had hurt himself with God only knows how many times...

How the hail could he be so stupid?

"You better not tell anyone about this." Branch warned, and for the first time ever, Cloud Guy actually felt threatened by him. But... he couldn't just do nothing.

"I won't... if you show me." he replied.

Branch looked like he had been slapped. "NO!" he shrieked. "What's wrong with you?" Cloud Guy shrugged. "I'm a weird creature Branch, get used to it." Branch looked about ready to stab the cloud, but he held back. This stupid fog was always getting on his nerves and embarrassing him. "Why do you want to see?"

Cloud Guy let out a long sigh. "I have to tell someone if you won't tell me how bad it is." He crossed his arms, and sat down on a nearby chair. Branch sat on one next to him. He twiddled his thumbs for a moment, before he hesitantly pulled at the legs of his shorts. The rows of scars on his upper thighs practically mocked Cloud Guy. He always thought he knew everything about Branch, but he was so, so wrong.

"Why would you do that to yourself?" Cloud Guy asked. The cumulus was so blunt. He didn't even bother to hide his horror.

Branch sighed. "I..." his voice broke, and he forced himself to swallow back tears. "I started when I was fourteen."

Cloud Guy sucked in a breath. That was so _young_.

"I don't remember why. Only... only that it felt good." Branch wrapped his arms around himself. "It was a way for me to breath. To let out all the pain out. I don't know why..." he voice didn't break, but it did crack slightly. He started talking, he could finish. "The last time I cut, it was after you and your parents left. They had... They made me think about my family, and how much I miss them... so I cut. I cut my skin to get rid of the pain inside."

The troll could feel the tears pour down his cheeks. "I know it's bad... but I can't stop. Even though I'm happy, I still get anxious, or nervous, or mad... and I cut. It doesn't work as like it used to, but I can't stop. It's too addictive."

That was it. Branch had put it all out there. And... Cloud Guy didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to help. But there was one thing he could do. Branch felt a pair of arms wrap around him. "It's going to be okay." Cloud Guy promised. Branch wasn't sure if he believed him.

But at least he wasn't alone right now.


End file.
